Franklin's Namesake

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Franklin is named after Benjamin Franklin, who realized the importance of writing and worked diligently to improve his craft. As a result, he transformed himself from a penniless printing apprentice into a wealthy and influential statesman, becoming one of the greatest figures of American history.

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Franklin's Inspiration

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Franklin was created by Dr. Kevin Huang after his experiences in Carnegie Mellon University's PhD program and in the tech industry. He noticed that in both academia and industry, those who held high-level positions—professors and executives—had one thing in common: their ability to write well. With ease, they communicate professionally, clearly, and effectively.

Writing is a skill that opens doors. Attached to every piece of professional communication is one's reputation; and the contrast between bad writing and good writing is stark—the former confuses and frustrates, while the latter illuminates and inspires.

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Unfortunately, many principles of high-quality writing are not taught in schools or universities. English is typically taught with a reading list, and writing assignments are typically graded on content, not style. As a result, many students and professionals do not get adequate practice writing effectively.

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Renowned writing books such as The Elements of Style sought to fill the gap by covering concepts such as conciseness, cohesiveness, transitions, emphasis placement, and so on. But these books lack hands-on practice.

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Franklin's Creation

Thus, to teach the principles and provide the hands-on practice that learners need to internalize them, Franklin was born. We hope that Franklin will ultimately make the principles of high-quality writing more accessible to everyone.